New York – Investigators are hoping that equipment aboard a helicopter might provide clues about why it crashed into New York’s East River, killing one passenger and seriously hurting three others.
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A member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Mark Rosekind, spoke at a briefing Wednesday, a day after the crash
Rosekind said engine monitors and GPS navigation equipment may have stored useful information.
He also said winds may have been a factor. A weather reporting station at nearby LaGuardia Airport had reported gusts of up to 20 knots on Tuesday afternoon.
Rosekind said one of the helicopter’s main blades was broken. But it’s not clear whether it broke before or after it crashed.
The pilot, Paul Dudley, has undergone an initial interview. But the investigation is just beginning.
This helicopter was NOT equipped with pop up flotation skids.
\In all likelihood that would have saved the poor woman from drowning.